Philippine troops kill Abu Sayyaf leader

Philippine troops battling militants in a central province have killed a key Abu Sayyaf commander who had been blamed for the beheadings of two Canadians and a German hostage and was apparently attempting another kidnapping mission.

Military chief of staff General Eduardo Ano said troops had recovered and identified the remains of Moammar Askali, who used the nom de guerre Abu Rami, at the scene of the battle in a far-flung coastal village on Bohol island, where five other Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed in the fighting on Tuesday, along with four soldiers and policemen.

Ano said troops took the picture of Askali after his death and that captured Abu Sayyaf militants identified the young militant leader.

"This is a major blow to the Abu Sayyaf," Ano told The AP. "If they have further plans to kidnap innocent people somewhere, they will now have to think twice."

The military chief said Askali had led several of militants who travelled by speedboats from their jungle camps in southern Sulu province to Bohol province in an apparent bid to carry out another kidnapping in a region that is popular for its beach resorts and wildlife.

Sporadic gunbattles between the remaining Abu Sayyaf militants and government forces continued on Wednesday, military officials said.